If you are currently living in Bath UK your Bluetooth enabled handset could well be monitoring your activities. The University of Bath, along with Vassilis and Panos Kostakos in the department of computer science have come up with a system whereby a Bluetooth enabled handset could spot and monitor these types of interactions in prisons.

Their idea is to fit inmates with RFID tags which will allow the inmates positions to be monitored then check out the readings to determine who is hanging with whom. What they have done is they have been anonymously listening out for the Bluetooth enabled devices of workers, students and residents of the city of Bath.

What Kostakos found is that it is fairly easy and straightforward to capture data concerning peoples “encounters” via Bluetooth. As a matter of fact in a 6 month survey they captured data on 10,000 mobile handsets although just how much data was gleaned from this snooping isn’t clear. Seems like just another way of keeping a watchful eye on the masses; my advice…turn off your Bluetooth.

Source — arxivblog